


Phantom Pain

by Azhwi, LosttotheHoping



Series: Bloody Woman [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Blood, Death, Emotional pain, F/F, F/M, M/M, Magic, Mercenaries, Psychological Torture, Supernatural - Freeform, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-16
Updated: 2014-11-22
Packaged: 2018-02-25 15:41:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2627129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azhwi/pseuds/Azhwi, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LosttotheHoping/pseuds/LosttotheHoping
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What hurts more? The physical pain of a broken limb or the phantom pain of a missing one?<br/>Sequel to Bloody Woman.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There was no stopping with Bloody Woman. We just had to keep going. There were ideas in BW that we didn't have a chance to explore and a few bits of history that needed to be explained.  
> And really, by this time, we were just addicted to the crew.

_Fingers pressed into flesh, mouths sealed to tender, reddening skin.  “Oh, **oh** , Hiroshi-kun…  Iiya… Iiya… onegaaiii…”  The woman gasped as the coil inside tightened, pleasure written all over her young face.  “Hiro… shi… Oh!”_

And the door slammed opened, knocking against the wall.  Erik, who had hoped to catch his roommate masturbating to  _hentai_  (Japanese animated porn) and use it as blackmail… frowned.  Kai was snoring amongst the pillows on the bed, a large duvet mostly shoved off to the side, near the wall.  Luckily, it covered what was important, since Kai had apparently gone to bed naked.

Erik turned his head to look at the big screen along the far wall.  Frowned some more.  “Really, man, you’re-”

The blankets shifted.  Kai was mostly not under the blankets.

Erik slowly shut the door, hoping Kai  _never found out_.

xXx

The hall was filled with music and the sharp tapping of stiletto heels, hanging crystals glittered in the wavering glow of several hundred candles. Societies highest, in fashion designer suits and dresses mingled, spouting political niceties and empty interest. Outside, precious cameras with special flashes waited for a glimpse of a shoulder, a leg or even a smile from these elite citizens of New York.

The food had been delicious, the wine exquisite, the venue well-chosen, and even the fucking band had talent.  _Though the singer who had the stage an hour ago could have shattered concrete with that sour note._

Stepping out towards a balcony, one of the bodyguards nearby shook his head. A sneer lifted his lip as he glanced at the night air beckoning outside, but followed the silent advice of the professional. Instead, he turned back to the tedious ebb and flow of the crowd inside.

“Darling, do you want to dance?”

He looked down at the smokey-eyed actress on his arm and fought back the disgust that swelled up. “That is a fantastic idea, gorgeous,” he replied instead, “but I’m not interested.”

“Pumpkin?” Wide hazel eyes blinked up at him as plump red lips quivered.

 _You can act_ , he thought viciously.  _Too bad you can’t act interesting._

The game had soured, the night held no interest, and the company was so very lacking. He grasped the black satin of the woman’s hand, showing his amusement at the way her whole being lit with anticipation. These stupid, empty people. You just had to know the right triggers and they would all follow your lead.

He had to give her credit. Esmeralda knew the difference between amusement and irritation. Hesitating, she brought up a hand to touch his cheek. “Li-darling? What’s wrong?”

A single hand flicked her glove away from his skin, followed by the arm that circled her waist firmly pushing her from his side. Her mouth sagged open in a perfect show of confusion. He wasn’t impressed.

“Go find someone else to play with. I’m done for the night.” He turned from her, a hand rising to bring in his honour guard.

The company was severely lacking. It had been for several months. Despite all his efforts: cajoling, threatening, pleading, bribing. Nothing would sway Christoph’s mind. The Triad heir hadn’t seen Ruby for months. All because he hadn’t found the right trigger yet.

He would though. Eventually, he always did.

The guards at his sides stiffened as he burst through the side door, his strides languid but long. The car was already pulling around the corner.

Mengyao took a deep breath of cool fall air. He would find those triggers. He would have her. She was worth it.

xXx

Kai frowned, staring at the floor as he lifted a dumbbell in one hand for his morning workout.  Still no leads on Arana’s location.  He had tried scrying.  Soul searching.  Memory scans.  Standing on a street corner and staring around.  Nothing.  But he could be patient.  He would find her eventually, despite the powerful protection spells she’d cast over herself.   _And that Ruby_ , he mused absently.

The dumbbell thudded softly as he set it down on the mat and rotated his arm.  It was _important_  that he learn all she had to teach him.  He had learned all he  _could_  from his mother.  While he dearly loved Emiko… she was more into purity than the darkness that ceaselessly tempted Kai.

He exhaled, letting his hand drop.  Perhaps he should try searching a different way…?

_“Who are you?”_

_Arana’s smile slipped away, eyes growing cold.  “That’s not something you really want the answer to, boyo.”_

_“But I really do,” Kai insisted.  “I want to know who you are.  Please?”_

_A smirk.  “You want to know my power.  Don’t pretend otherwise.  I know.”_

_He didn’t pretend_.

The bell over the door dinged.  “We’re not open-” he started to say, but paused.

The brown-haired male in the doorway blinked.  “Uh… when do you open?  Been looking for a new place to work out.  Somewhere in the area.  Thinking of staying here a while, you know?”  He grinned cheekily.

 _Liar_.

“ _Gomen_ ,” Kai said, getting up and smiling.  “You’re welcome to join me for my workout.”

Brown eyes lit up.  “Sweet!”

Kai bowed.  “ _Boku wa Watanari Kaitaro desu_.”

The newcomer mimicked the movement.  “ _Ore wa Isoto Shinji desu_.”

xXx

“–and then that’s it. She gets up, apologizes for scaring everyone, and walks out the door with us.”

There was a cough from the other side of the card table.

“Yeah, okay, and Wolfie hits a button or something as soon as we’re a safe distance away–thank you so much for your consideration–and the whole place ends up flatter than my grandmother’s tits.”

This time, there were groans from three sides of the table and various people downed a gulp of their choice in poisons. “Medic…”

“What? S’truth.”

“Wait. Wait.” The younger man waved his hands, trying to understand. “She gets up and no one reacts?”

“Of course we reacted. We got her out of there as soon as we could.”

Scalpel shook his head. “No, I mean. No one went ‘ _Aaauuugghhh_!’ or something when she fucking  _got back up_?” He looked around at the others, noting the very disapproving expressions on several of the older mercenaries. “No offence, but have none of you ever seen zombie flicks?!”

“Hey.” The doctor curled a finger at his second. “C’mere.”

Joe cringed, sighed, but leaned forward. The slap he got over the top of his head didn’t seem to surprise him, but the force behind it did. “Gah!”

“Shut the fuck up about zombies, kid.” Medic settled back into his seat, watching as the idiot rubbed his head. “She’s alive: heart beats, lungs breathe, eyes see, brain thinks. More than what I can say for some fuckers.”

The reaction around the table and among those at the outer rings was more supportive this time around. A few toasts to Lady’s health.

“Lady is…” Medic took a swig of his whiskey, voice going soft. “She is a walking miracle, that one.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Name of the game is Escalation.

“Hey- HEY! Is anyone  _here_!?” a familiar blue-eyed blonde demanded, stumbling into what Amaya had come to call ‘that medical place’ under the weight of her burden. She scowled and abruptly dropped the unconscious male onto the floor. “Hel- _lo_?”

Drai was the first to arrive, somewhat shocked by the stress Lucy was showing. Then his eyes took in the male on the carpet. “ _Medic!_ ” he called.

It was Shinji Isoto, covered in blood from a wound in his side and unconscious.

xXx

_Wow… You don’t see that much money on a man around here. That suit’s three times my wage in a month!_

Sydney watched in awe as a Chinese man in an expensive silk and cotton combo waved at a few other guys who split off and waited in various spots. They reminded her of Gary on a bad day: watchful, irritated, and daring anything and anyone to step up for a smack down.

A corner of her mouth twitched. Yeah, her gladiator was pissy sometimes, but that was just how he was: adorable and amazingly diligent at keeping her hide in one piece.  _Great roommate too_.

“Hello.”

“Oh! Hi!” Cheerful, big smile. “What can I get you today?”

Mr. Dollars pulled the sunglasses from his chocolate-brown eyes and smiled. “A few minutes of your time would be nice.”

Giggle lightly. Blush. Wave a hand. Standard actions to deal with the hitters. “Coffee? Tea? Food? I’m on shift; I can’t.”  _Not to mention, I don’t want to, but you don’t need to know_ that  _part._

“Aww, not even a few seconds?”

“Sir, I do have a boyfriend. Happily involved, thank you.” Sydney didn’t have to play the game if she didn’t want to.

The customer blinked and pouted. “Do you have a sister then? A cousin? I’m sure beauty runs in the family,” he wheedled, grinning widely over the flattery he was layering on with a cement truck.

Laughing, she relented. “No sisters, but I do have a cousin. She’s involved too, though.”

“Is she now?” He leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “When’s her birthday? I’ll give her a gift. Send it through you. It’ll be a nice random surprise from a nice random stranger. That should make anyone’s day.”

Sydney shook her head. “No can do, mister. I don’t even know where she is half the time.” Ruby wouldn’t accept an anonymous gift either. Maybe if Syd opened it first, but where was the fun in that?

“Aww,” the guy said again, then shrugged. “Well, so much for my daily dose of charity.” His eyes slid across the menu above her head. “Do you have Oolong tea?”

xXx

“Shinji?” Arana asked. She had been away ‘on business’ when Shinji had been brought in, and so was only just now hearing about it.

Drai nodded, leaning against the door that lead into the makeshift medical room. “Yeah. Gunshot to the side. He woke up for a little while, but he’s out again. Was pretty out of it. Medic says it sounds like he made a miscalculation. Not really like him, though.”

Shrugging indifferently, the brunette sighed. “Everyone screws up eventually,” she pointed out. “He’ll live, then?”

“Looks like it,” the Arab agreed. He pushed away from the door. “You wanna see ‘im?”

But she was already turning away, wandering down the hallway. “Nah, he’ll just get uneasy. I think I’ll go find my Boys… they here?”

“Yeah…” He snorted when he realized she wasn’t even listening to him. Typical.

xXx

The underground parking lot was cold this time in the year. Her breath fogged as she stepped out of the car and waited while Simon got the bags. She expected him to head for the trunk, but instead her partner rolled his eyes and snagged a coat from the back seat, throwing it over to her.

“You’re going to get sick,” he told her crossly, shutting the door.

Pulling the thick wool down off her head, Ruby stuck her tongue out at him. “Am not.” She put the coat on anyway.

A moment later, they were both standing by the elevator, waiting for the thing to reach the basement. The tiny Asian leaned over and bumped Wolf. “You’re nervous.”

“It’s a reassessment,” the demolition man muttered back. “And it’s Gary,” he added.

Rolling her red eyes, the sniper smirked. “You sound like Kai.”

“Hey!”

The elevator dinged.

xXx

It wasn’t until later that Arana bothered leaving the company of her two favorite mortals to glance in at Shinji. The spectacle made her mouth curl into a wide smile.

Shinji Isoto was not a very good patient, and right now, the man was trying to get off the bed despite Medic trying to hold him down. And he’d opened his wound again.

“I said I’m alright!” the Asian growled.

Growling, the good doctor grabbed his patient’s shirt and yanked him close. Nose to nose, Medic glared at the squirming man. “You can be conscious for the rest of the day and stay in the fucking bed or I will sedate you for the next thirty-two hours and hand out the markers.”

Baring his teeth at Medic, Shinji grated out, “ _I still have puce dye_.”

Arana’s sudden roar of laughter interrupted them both, and made them look at her. She just walked away. Soon enough, Medic hit the sedative button.

He also kept the hot pink marker for himself.

xXx

Walking out into the middle of the rooftop, Simon took a deep breath. He held up a hand and smiled wryly at the tremors that were present. Yes, he was nervous, but that wasn’t all that surprising. If he failed, Ruby would need a new partner.

Fifty feet away, Gary set down another small marble and the two gladiators felt the deflection wards pulse. The older man nodded at Simon and the American lightly tossed his own pebble up into the sky. At the apex of its flight, the wards caught hold and the stone hovered in the air creating the ‘roof’ of their now-shielded testing ground.

Amused brown eyes met settling grey as the big man walked towards his student. A corner of Gary’s mouth lifted. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve learned in the past five years.”

Wolf nodded and lifted his fists.

xXx

Reddish brown eyes lifted from the book he was reading at a flicker of movement. The book fell from his fingers as the door closed, and she smiled. The lock clicked.

“Hello,” she said softly, dark eyes dancing.

Drai gulped, eyes slowly sweeping down, then up again. Met chocolate eyes, and he smiled, slow and wicked. “Hello, milady.”

The naked woman grinned fully, and stepped into his embrace halfway across the room. She tilted her head back for a kiss, and who was he to deny her?

“Let me worship you, oh goddess,” he hissed in her ear wickedly.

The tempting siren pulled away. “Wrong.” And then she started taking off his pants.

xXx

“What was  _that_?” Syd pointed at the screen and gaped. “No,  _how_ did you do that?”

Smirking, the smaller cousin lifted her fingers in a miniature version of a shrug. “Talent?”

Scrawled across the widescreen were the letters ‘ _K.O._ ’ and the camera slowly spun around two combatants on gold tile. The undead pirate was stretched out like a plank while his equally undead dominatrix daughter stood triumphant.

“Again!” the this-time-blonde woman demanded.

The redhead smiled and flickered her fingers over the bright plastic buttons to reset the fight.

xXx

“Hey, what happened to his face?” Lucy asked, blinking, and leaned into Shinji’s bubble to stare at him. Luckily, he was unconscious and didn’t notice. She tilted her head. “It’s pink. And green. And black.” She looked up at Medic.

Who smirked. “And further down there’s orange, purple, and a lot of green.”

“Why?” she asked blankly.

Shrugging, Medic pulled open a drawer. “We had the colours, the people, and the time. He volunteered.” He picked up a clipboard from the nearby table and nodded to her. “I’m going to kitchen for food. You’re welcome to join me after you’re done.”

And he walked out.

Blinking after him before circling the bed and peeking into the drawer, Lucy smiled. “Oohh, yellow and blue!”

xXx

The sounds of battle echoed in the hallways and the sharp wailing cries of the fallen pierced through Wolf’s dreams, shocking him awake.

Only half aware of his surroundings, Simon rolled and crashed into the bedside table, tumbling the small lamp to the floor with a muffled thump. The bed sheets only hindered him for a few moments, but it was time enough for Gary to find him.

“Hey ass-cheeks. Wake up,” the older man snapped from the doorway.

The fallen mercenary blinked up at Gary from the floor, blankets wound tight around the bottom half of his legs which were still on the bed while his head and shoulders rested on the carpet. His ass was indeed bare and the highest point of his body.

Wolf turned his face back down into the scratchy berber and groaned.

Behind Gary, Syd yelled out as Ruby once again beat the pirate into the planks of his own ship.

xXx

Brown eyes peered into the hospital room, and this time, the immortal ventured passed the threshold. “Lucy…”

The blonde straightened and smiled widely at her, capping her marker. “Hello, Liza!”

She was the only one that called Arana by her shortened first name. Well, when it was just the two of them, anyway. Arana had no idea why, though. “What are you do-” She stopped. Blinked. “‘I am Medic’s bitch’…”

“That was there when I started,” Lucy said indifferently, shrugging. “I’m using blue and yellow!” She held the markers up.

Arana grinned and fetched a red marker. “Well, I suppose I should add to the mural,” she said, eying the doodles of flowers and musical notes all over Shinji’s now bare chest. She paused. “… is that… Beethoven’s ninth symphony?”

Lucy clapped her hands excitedly. “Oh! You noticed! Liza, you’re so smart!”

“No, just old,” Arana retorted wryly. She stepped up to the bed, thighs knocking into the elevated mattress, and swept her eyes over him in search of a clear space.

That was when Shinji’s hand suddenly snapped out and latched onto her wrist like a vise, eyes opening. Lucy started, letting out a surprised yelp, and knocked over a tray behind her in her haste to back off.

“ _Found you_ ,” the Japanese male growled, a black mist rising from his hand.

The immortal’s eyes widened, and then narrowed as the mist tried to settle onto her skin. She scowled. “ ** _Repellere_** ,” she snarled, waving her free hand over the mist. “ ** _Suffusa_**.” And then over the marker in her captured fist.

The mist shifted, and then sank into the marker, even as the door snapped open and Shinji slumped onto the bed.

“Lucy, I sedated that ass for a reason…” Medic drew up short at the sight of the two sisters and the toppled tools. “What happened?”

“Hm,” was all Arana said for a second. She leaned over, tugging his hand from her now bruising wrist, and shifted him back into his previous position. She opened one eye, then the other, and then his mouth.

“Arana?” Lucy asked, pouting.

The brunette looked up at them both, waiting mostly patiently for her to answer. “Tracking spell, using a carrier. Someone is trying to get my attention.” And she just might know who.

Striding over to the bedside with a scowl, Medic’s gaze first swept Lucy, then Arana. “Lady,” he paused, noting the minor injury, “is this something we should be concerned about?” Needless to say the two ‘leaders’ of this odd group were going to get a report.

“Mm, probably not,” she admitted. “He didn’t hurt Shinji. Just hypnotized him to hold me long enough for the tracking spell to transfer when I came within a certain range. He,” she gestured toward the still drugged patient, “likely didn’t know anything was different.”

“Did this… ‘spell’ get you?” Poor Medic looked completely out of his depth.

A wry, knowing smirk was tossed in his direction. “No. But this needs to be thrown out.” She held up the red marker.

Scowling darkly, the doctor gingerly took the doomed item from her and headed for the door where he tossed one last statement over his shoulder as he left. “I have multiples of each colour…”

Once he was gone, Arana’s smile faded. Lucy tilted her head, pigtails brushing her shoulders. “Liza?”

“Mm. He noticed the protection spell.”

 _Blink_. “What?”

The brunette shook her head. “Nothing. Are you hungry? I should probably eat. I think I missed dinner with everyone and if I don’t get something, Medic will be following me around with food tomorrow.”

Cerulean eyes lit up with amusement as the blonde across the bed from her nodded. “Yes! Maybe I should cook something?”

“Can you pay attention long enough?”

“Oh… good point.”

xXx

Pushing down as hard as she could, the sniper felt hard muscle give under her assault and the man below her let out a shuddering moan. She grinned and felt around some more, before repeating the action to similar results.

Pausing to rest her wrists, Ruby sat back and shook her head at the black and purple marks that decorated the body. There were deep bruises as well as raised welts. Low on the side was a wide swath of red that signified a minor burn. Across one shoulder was a long gash that was already sewn up and hidden under a strip of gauze. An outflung arm displayed several lacerations as well as three opened knuckles on a battered hand.

Even with the panic attack that Medic was bound to have over this, Wolf was fairly certain that he would pass this test. Gary wasn’t saying either way, though Sydney was optimistic.

Shifting to his side, Simon twisted around to smile at her. Ruby smiled back and shoved him back down. They only had four more minutes before the older gladiator was going to haul them all off for dinner. Wolf needed to be able to sit without whimpering.

xXx

“I  _told_  you, I’m  _fine_ ,” Arana growled, glowering at the two hovering over her. She shot a quick, fatal glare Medic’s way, but when that just made him smirk, she gave up. Lucy didn’t look like she was about to help either. “Really. It’s just bruising.”

Blond glanced at bald, and was met with an upraised brow. He glanced back at the irate woman. “Bruising from the grip of an unconscious man who was under the influence of a spell you say is now stuck on a surgical felt pen.” Christoph frowned. “Did I miss anything?”

Before she could respond, Svorak held up a fork. “It’s not just the bruising that we’re concerned about, Lady.”

She worked her jaw silently for a tick, then huffed. “One, the spell that controlled him is not in the marker. It faded once it was complete. The spell in the marker is mostly a separate thing.” She shot another glare Medic’s way before going on. “And two, there’s  _nothing_  to be concerned about. I can handle it.”

Watching Lady puff and glare and grumble, Medic noted something that needed immediate attention.

A carrot stick hit the black merc in the ear. As the man turned to scowl, a celery stick hit the blond in the back of the head and slid down into his shirt. By the time the chemist had started to protest, a small cherry tomato was sailing for Arana’s nose.

“Eat, you bastards,” Medic growled out at the various glares. Then ducked as other edible projectiles were pelted at him.

Lucy stole Arana’s steak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have noticed: to hell with chapter titles. Mine all sucked anyway.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In all honesty, did you think any of this was going to be normal?

Bags packed, supplies gathered, weapons sheathed, the apartment door closed on the backs of the two gladiators as they headed up to the roof for the final phase. This time, they wouldn’t be back until noon.

Smiling, her older cousin locked the door and sealed the wards, then shooed Ruby into her room with a determined expression. The bedroom door closed with a click and several other wards sprang up into place while others fell away.

“So.”

“So?”

“Where’s the rock?”

Bright red eyes slid sideways as bronze brows drew down. “There isn’t one.”

“What?! You’ve been seeing him for years!” Eyes, twins to the first, flashed as low hisses filled the air. Her cousin flopped down onto a large round couch by the corner and patted the spot beside her.

“It doesn’t work that way,” the small woman hedged. Her scalp ached and she brought a hand up to caress the blunt tip of a nose. A tiny tongue came up and tasted her finger, then curled away.

The other female threw a pillow at her. It hit high and rocked her head to the side; a full choir of offended reptiles voiced their opinion. “Bull!” her attacker stated.

Ruby glared at her cousin. “It’s not that simple! It isn’t! You think I don’t want to make this permanent? To make him mine?” She walked over, picking up the cushion along the way and shoving it back into Sydney’s arms. “If you think it’s so easy, why aren’t you married yet?”

“Me?” Their natural complexion didn’t allow for much of a blush, but the way the lips parted and the signature red eyes widened, they were enough for translation. “We-we’ve only been dating. Nothing that serious.”

For a moment, Ngai Mun sat down next to Syd and gaped at her. “ _Nothing serious_? The fuck--He knows what you are! What _we_ are! That’s a few miles past casual.”

Her cousin stuck a tongue out and several other tongues joined in on the juvenile gesture.

“I’m seeing my gladiator,” Ruby stated. “He’s trained since childhood knowing what and who he would be guarding. However, you are seeing a witch. For what? A year? Two? Let me say this again: he knows what you are. Oh, and another thing. He isn’t leaving you.”

“Yeah... I know!” Sydney slumped back into the rounded back of the huge seat. “You and Wolf trust each other right? Tell each other everything?”

Cringing back from the memory of Li, the sniper nodded. “Even things I’d rather _not_ tell him.”

She got a wave at that. “Yeah, I thought so.”

“Xia?”

“Sometimes,” her cousin wrapped her arms around a body pillow, “Kai doesn’t tell me things. I find out later from Gary or maybe his mom.”

Ruby blinked. “His _mom_?”

A wry smile flitted across copper lips. “Yeah. She would call asking if he was with me. Emiko has bets with one of his friends from time to time. Remember Erik?” She snorted. “Somehow so many of them depend on where I am in comparison to her son. And when he’s not with me, she gets puzzled. And not happy. _She gets worried_.”

“Guys do go off on their own from time to time.”

“Not Kai. It’s not a group thing or else Erik would know and either claim or lose the bet.” Syd constricted around the pillow, sounding utterly miserable. “Emiko is worried that he's hanging out with a bad crowd or something."

Ruby rolled her eyes. “He's probably just using his magic to spy on you just to keep in practice.” _Wait. Is that_... “Kai’s been asking a lot of questions about Arana.” From Syd’s confused blink, the other woman hadn’t gotten it. Yet. “Arana is a witch too, Syd.”

“Oh!”

“He's probably trying to learn from her, what with her knowing so much.”

Xia Fu tilted her head in thought. “Is she teaching him?”

“In a way.”

xXx

_The bouncy platinum blonde walking down the street stopped suddenly, and turned.  She looked down an alleyway, and then wandered down it.  Her fingers wrapped around the edge of the dumpster, and she lifted herself up on her toes.  No people there._

Kai heaved a sigh and released the possession spell.  The actress stepped away from the dumpster, face twisting into a look of horror, before the picture in the bowl of water faded away.

He sat back, fingers _tap, tap, tapping_ against the table.  Sydney had banned him from coming over today.  Or calling.  Something about quality girl time.  Since he’d needed to check the tracking spell, he had shrugged it off and decided to leave her be.

Now, he was a bit worried.  Arana had apparently diverted the tracking spell, not that he’d expected anything less from her.  She was _obviously_ more experienced than him, and more powerful.  Odd, given how young she was.

Still, that just meant that she’d devoted more of her life to her magic, and learning it.  Not unusual, since he would have too, if it weren’t for his family.  And Sydney.

His cell-phone buzzed, and he picked it up.  Erik.  ‘ _Won’t be home tonight.  Don’t masturbate on the couch_.’

Dick.

He closed out the text after replying just that.  And stared at the phone.  Should he text her?  Make sure she was okay?  She would be irritated, but... at least he’d know.

But a tiny voice in the back of his mind, a different part of himself, was whispering another idea.   _Scry her, search for her.  Then she would never know_.

“No,” he said softly, the sound loud in the silence of his altar-room.

No, Sydney was fine.  She was with her cousin, and more than likely Wolf and Gary.  If nothing else, they would protect her.  She would be safe.

 _Well then_.  He drew a slow breath, and exhaled.  He should look into preparations for the next phase of contact.  He had expected a rebuttal, at first, but eventually Arana would capitulate.  It only made sense, after all.  She was a master, one without children, and unlikely to have any.

Not in her line of work, at least.  Not without retiring.

Teaching someone with potential made sense.  He needed a master.  She needed a student with similar magicks and interests.

Rising, Kai smiled faintly.  He wanted the power, too.  This was true.  But when Arana accused him of being power-hungry, she was wrong.

All of his reasoning these days spiraled down to one thing.

 _Sydney_.

xXx

A couple hours later, after her tiny cousin had drifted off to sleep in the big pile of pillows and duvets, Sydney hissed a curse and glared at the tiny little snake that had chomped down on her thumb.

“Clorl!”

Retracting her fangs, the small viper lifted her tiny chin, an even tinier tongue flicking out. The young woman sucked on the wound, narrowing her eyes as the belligerent feeling of a dare echoed through their connection.

“What was that for?” she mumbled, as soon as the stinging faded away.

For a creature that was reptilian, Clorl could emote a fair range. ‘ _Mate_ ’ fizzled into Sydney’s mind in warm tones. ‘ _Loneliness_ ’ faded in and out, leaving an ache behind. ‘ _Impatience’_ scratched and itched.

Trying to argue with a snake never got anyone anywhere, so Syd didn’t bother. Besides, she had been thinking of him. Popping her thumb from her mouth, the woman sighed and rolled over on her side, bringing the viper close. “Yeah, yeah. You’re right. We haven’t seen him for a _whole long day_ ,” she drawled, peering over at her cousin who slumbered on. Sydney grinned.

It was just before midnight on a Friday. He might be up.

“Wanna call him?” she asked and grinned at the firm flush of ‘ _triumph’_ that swarmed into her mind. The charming little snake wrapped around her wrist and flicked a tongue.

Shaking her head, Sydney slipped from the blankets, grabbed her phone, and silently left the room. As she passed through the door, her own private wards snapped into place and she drifted over to the large bay windows by the kitchen.

Clorl watched in curious silence as she tapped a message out on her phone. ‘ _Hey luv, you up_?’

Nearly five minutes passed before she got a reply.  ‘ _Yeah.  Is everything alright?  You’re okay?_ ’

Showing the text to her little companion, Syd grinned. ‘ _All good. Miss you_.’ Clorl flicked a tongue at the screen. ‘ _Clorl says hi_.’

The next response came more quickly.  ‘ _XD Hi Clorl.  Can I call, Sydney-chan?_ ’

Her little peep of a giggle made the viper flinch and stare reproachfully. Syd smiled and touched her lips to the little reptile’s head. “Sorry!” she whispered, then texted: ‘ _We were hoping you’d say that!_ ’

The next time the phone rang, it was with a call.  As soon as she picked up, he was talking.  “ _Moshimoshi, koi_.”

“ _Moshimoshi_ , to you too, love.” Syd padded over to the couch and curled up in the pillows. “So... What are you wearing?”

“ _Uh_...”  A pause.  “ _Jeans.  And underwear._ ”  Another pause.  “ _And a towel.  I just got out of the shower._ ”

Grinning at the ceiling, she felt the viper slide off her wrist and curl up in a bundle at the hollow of her throat. “Mmm... Steamy boyfriend. Topless. Yeah, I can work with that.”

He chuckled.  “ _Yeah.  What are **you** wearing?  Pajamas?_ ”

A navy blue eyebrow rose. “You know me, anything I wear could be pure illusion. Could be wrapped in nothing but a thought right now.”

“ _I can work with that_ ,” he replied, tone slightly teasing.  “ _No problem with naked._ ”

Her purring stirred the viper from her doze and Clorl twisted up to lick Sydney’s chin before curling back down. “Hm, I bet--Hey, I have favour to ask.” The young woman cupped the snake at her throat as she sat up, an idea forming. “I can’t be out of here until noon tomorrow, but I’m going straight to work. One of our waiting staff is still on vacation; wanna fill in? You’ll have to behave for eight hours though.”

“ _I shouldn’t_ ,” he said slowly.  “ _You’re too tempting._ ”  He paused for a beat, amused, then continued.  “ _But I will anyway.  Noon, you say?_ ”

Flashing a bright smile at the tiny snake that had twined around her fingers, Syd let out a quiet cheer. “Yes! Noon is when I can leave, so that means I’ll get to work by about half past. Am I meeting you downstairs or at work?”

“ _Downstairs, and I can give you a ride_ ,” he replied.

“You’re fantastic,” she told him. “Just wonderful and gorgeous and perfect! Don’t ever change!”

For almost a minute, he didn’t respond.  Then, “ _Thank you, Sydney-chan...  You’re the loveliest woman I will ever know._ ”  The words were heartbreakingly sincere.

Blinking and blushing, Syd bit her lip. “Hey, you forgot something.”

There was a smile to his next words.  “ _I love you.  Is that what I forgot?_ ”

"Yeah," she breathed out, “and I love you too. Best thing ever, huh?”

“ _Yeah_ ,” he echoed softly.  “ _Sydney, I-_ ”  There was a thunk from the other end, and he sighed.  “ _Shimatta.  I gotta go.  I’ll see you tomorrow?_ ”

Syd giggled. “That was Erik wasn’t it? Alright, I’ll let you go. Tomorrow! Noon! I love you!” she said as rapidly and quietly as she could.

“ _And I, you.  Sayonara, koi_.”  He made a kiss into the phone before hanging up with another sigh.

“There, are you happy now?” Syd asked her little viper. Clorl flicked out a tongue. Smug satisfaction coiled into her mind and emanated happiness. “You’re such a little sucker for him.”

As the young woman made her way back to bed, she had to smile at the faint feeling of ruffled dignity that came from the vicinity of her wrist.

xXx

The next afternoon, like promised, Kai was waiting for her when she came down the stairs.  Of course he’d called to say he was there.  He stood leaning against the driver’s side door, face slack with vague boredom, texting on his phone.

“Hey Sexy,” Syd purred as she walked up to the car opposite him. When Kai glanced up, she smoothed a finger up and down the chrome on her side of the Mazda. “Missed you.” And she rested her cheek on the car roof.

Lips quirking into a smile, he straightened and shoved his phone back in his pocket.  “Don’t I get a greeting too?  I mean... I know you like the car, but...”  He shrugged helplessly.

Lifting her head, she smirked and crooked a finger at him. “Come and get your ‘hello’ then.”

Kai grinned and walked around the car, stepping up to her and holding out his arms invitingly.

Not that she needed much in the way of prompting. Syd sighed as she felt Kai wrap around her. Really, it was a little ridiculous, how much she had missed him over such a short period of time.

And his kiss was even better than his hug.  And deeper.  A lot deeper.  Finally, though, they had to part, and he rested his forehead against hers.  “I missed you,” he murmured.

Blinking and gasping, she giggled from where she had nuzzled in under his chin. “Really? I couldn’t tell.” She drew back with a grin at his expression. “Wait, let me check again.”

Kai grinned and gave her a peck on the forehead, then stepped back.  “We’re going to be late.”

xXx

Watching from the window, Gary snorted as the pair drove away. Nearby in the kitchen, the small sniper was smearing antiseptic over cuts and slapping bandages on the worst of the wounds that covered the younger gladiator.

They both looked up as Gary approached, Simon’s eyes were bright with pain, but still very aware.

It was a simple procedure, movements so natural for a man who ran a bar. The big man pulled open the fridge door, took out what he needed and returned to the small dining table that was littered with medical supplies. Despite his battered appearance, Wolf smiled wide as he and his petite partner clinked beer glasses with the older man.

“Congratulations, Simon.”

“Thank you, sir.”

xXx

Sharing an amused look with the serving staff who passed him in the hall, Christoph sighed and once again checked his stride.

His partner was somewhere down in the courtyard, putting the younger guards through their drills. There were shouts and cursing coming from the yard while the head groundskeeper twitched and scowled. Apparently, running on the grass was discouraged on a regular day. However, the CEO Andrew Masters, who was signing all their paychecks this week, had shrugged and told the ex-soldier he had free rein, much to the horror of both the guards and landscapers.

Normally the African and the European came as a pair, working within sight of each other when on the bodyguard shift. Only, this time there had been a hiccup. Andrew’s tiny little daughter, Michele, had taken one look at Svorak, whimpered, and dove behind Christoph’s legs.

Her father had raised both eyebrows, glanced at the one-eyed merc who was rolling that one eye, and magnanimously told the man he wouldn’t have to babysit. Svorak had shrugged, asked about the security on site, and was essentially told to go play. The expression his lover had given the chemist as the darker man left was both relieved and just a little bemused.

Guess being black and patched made for a scary sight to small children.

And from behind the blond was the soft sound of following footsteps.  The little girl, whom had initially used him as a shield, had somehow taken a liking to him.  And begun to follow him.  Her nurse, an old woman who checked on her every few hours, found it obnoxious.  Her nanny, whom tended to her needs, found it adorable.  Her father found it hilarious and told him that he had work before walking off with a soft laugh.

“Hey, hey, Mister Baba?” came the child’s soft, clear, high voice.

Christoph looked down, far down. “Yes, Miss Michele?”

She beamed; apparently she liked it when he called her that.  She had told him as much.  “How’d you get so tall?  James said people grow because they eat their spinach.  Is that true?”

“That’s partially true, yes.” Blaming a kid’s nutritional intake for their lack of height was Medic’s gig though. “But it also depends on whether the parents have been eating their vegetables as well.”

The pint-sized brunette blinked up at him bemusedly, and skipped a few steps to get ahead of him before walking backwards.  In front of her chest, she clutched a broken-and-mended wooden carving of a horse.  “That makes no sense,” she told him authoritatively.  “That’s like saying I’ll get tall cause daddy is!  But we’re not the same!  He’s a boy.”

“Hm, the way I see it, the parents need to eat well to have a healthy child. That is important, yes? That way the child will have a better chance of being tall.” The blond tilted his head at the girl. “That makes sense right? If you don’t eat well, then you get sick. If you get sick, you don’t grow as fast.”

She tilted her head and slowed to a stop.  “Oh...”  Her face screwed up in thought.  “Yes!  It does.  Can we go get a snack now?”

Blowing out a sigh, the very tall man uttered a very silent prayer of thanks that the child had not asked why the parents’ eating habits had anything to do with a healthy child. He was not up for educating such a tiny slip of a female on reproduction. “That is an excellent idea. I believe it’s time for tea.”

“Tea?  Ohhh, only if it has no caffeine!  Mommy doesn’t like it when I have caffeine!”  She beamed sweetly, spun around and trotted off down the hall in search of the kitchen.

Amused, Christoph smiled slightly as he followed the girl, her two steps for each one of his longer strides. Ah, the cares of the young.

xXx

Seeing Kai’s face when she had shown him the store’s uniform had been priceless, but probably no less so than her own when he had stepped out of the backroom wearing it. From the evident smirk on his smug lips, the witch had witnessed the way heat had crawled up her neck as Syd took in the sight of her boyfriend in pressed cotton and the vibrant colours of the café. Maybe Lyd’s wouldn’t notice a missing uniform. _Yeah right._

“I take it I have approval?” the Japanese male said, twisting slightly to show off.

“Mm, definitely.” She smiled and reached over, folding down the back of his bright red collar. Her hands drifted to his muscled shoulders with the long black sleeves. “Thanks again for doing this.”

He nodded and stole a quick kiss.  “Any time.”

Behind him from the depths of the break room, the afternoon manager came out grumbling, “No time for smooching, get going!”

They broke apart, Syd laughing and ducking from Lydia’s wrath, fleeing for the cashier.  Kai, blushing, endured a lecture on employee relations.  Oh boy.

xXx

The trio - Christoph, Michele and her nanny, Sara - peeked through the window at the group of guards down in the front yard.  “Are you _sure_?” the tiny brunette asked skeptically, looking at her bodyguard.  “He doesn’t _look_ nice.”

The man in question chose that moment to fling a careless young guard into the prickly side of the hedge maze. Christoph winced. “Svorak is nice to... a few people only,” he admitted.

She looked at the merc in an odd mixture of awe and horror.  “He just... but he just did that!” she yelped, and ducked when a few people down on the lawn over heard and turned slightly.

Frowning slightly, the chemist looked at the nanny. “How do the guards usually train?”

“Um, independently,” she admitted, frowning.  “We don’t run their lives...”

“Momma said they ran around like idiots,” Michele reported.  “But I don’t get it.  They don’t run a lot.”

Blond brows arched up. “That explains a few things though,” Christoph muttered. “Well, if they can survive Svorak, they will be stronger for it. See? The fellow is getting up. He’s fine... He’s also an idiot.”

They all watched as the guard struggled out of the bushes, screamed out a few words that had the nanny covering Michele’s ears, and charged the smirking black merc. Christoph winced again. The man’s voice had cracked mid-way. _Oh, to be young and stupid_.

“Hey, Mister Baba?” Michele asked.  “What does ‘dick’ mean?”

“A male person who you want to hurt very badly,” he answered absently as Svorak leaned to the side to evade the uppercut and smoothly took the legs out from under the raging guard. There was a collective groan when the boy attempted to kick the merc in between the legs without success and Svorak returned the sentiment. With predictable results.

Sara was getting up, a bit red in the face.  “Alright, come now, let’s go!” she said furiously.

“Shhh, I’m watching,” Michele said, watching with fascination as the defeated man rolled on the ground.  “The scary looking guy is _cool_!”  The nanny squeaked.

“Hm.” Christoph blinked and looked down at the tiny girl. Rising to his feet, he sighed. “Next thing we know, she’ll be asking for defence classes.”

The slim nanny gave him a scathing look.

“Or are they called etiquette lessons now?” he asked grinning.

“Uhg,” the woman growled, and grabbed Michele’s hand.  “Come on, Michele, let’s go find a nice snack.”

“Cookies?” she asked hopefully.

“Carrots.”

“Dummy,” the child muttered.

The nanny paused and frowned.  “What?”

“Nothing!”  She beamed widely.  “Can I talk to the scary-looking guy later?”

“No!”

xXx

The stream of customers had slowed to a crawl, eventually trickling down to only a few individuals in an hour. Sydney checked the clock and blinked. It was already half-way through her shift. Which meant...

Right on cue, the door chimed and Mr. Dollars walked in.

Kai glanced toward the door and blinked, brows furrowing slightly.  Still, he didn’t stop the man from approaching the cash register, and continued wiping down the table.  However, when he’d finished that one, the next table he attacked was significantly closer to Sydney.

As part of their now regular routine, the Chinese man smiled as he removed his sunglasses. “Hello gorgeous. How has your day been?”

In the background, Kai fumbled a saltshaker and nearly dropped it, turning bright red at Lydia’s glare.

The old traditional tea pot came out of hiding as Syd rolled her eyes. “Same as always, sir?”

Pouting, Mr. Dollars raised his eyebrows. “I can’t even get an answer for such an innocuous question? And yes.”

Syd laughed. “Good, I’ve been good!” There was a brief pause as she rang up the bill for Oolong tea and a single blueberry muffin. She didn’t miss the quiet ‘I’m sure you have’ from the customer, but she was used to it.

Kai frowned faintly as he cleaned up his mess, ignoring Lydia’s glower from the other side of the store.  But he told himself that the man was just being flirtatious, and Syd was returning it for an extra tip.  That was all.  It was okay that she kept giving him interesting looks.   _It was okay_.

… but the man was acting awfully familiar with Sydney.  Too familiar.  Frowning, he edged over to the next table.

“Will this be for here or to go?” she asked, openly amused.

“Will you sit with me?” he countered, smirk in place.

Kai scrubbed the table harder, _It’s okay_ a mantra in his head.

Holding out a hand, Syd wiggled her fingers. “No, so pay up.”

“Any word on that birthday?” the flirter asked, a five dollar bill held vertically in two fingers.

 _Birthday_?  Kai cast a furious look toward the customer.  “Sydney- _chan_?” he called softly.  “Sydney- _chan wa tasuke o hitsuyo to shite imasu ka?_ ”

Slipping him a bright smile in answer, the blonde Sydney shook her head at both men. “She doesn’t take presents from strangers.”

A chime of the door interrupted them just as Mr. Dollars seemed to think of an answer. Looking rather resigned, he handed over the money just as the new customer walked up behind him.

The new guy was older, but just as richly dressed. The black goatee added to the look of older, wiser, and impatient. Surprising both of them, he addressed Mr. Dollars. “Li, sir, we need to leave.”

The fresh roll of quarters hit the floor with a sharp clack as Sydney gaped. “Li?”

Kai perked at the name.  Li?  The guy that was harassing Sydney’s cousin?  Then his eyes narrowed.  If the man started harassing Sydney...

Mr. Dollars, or Li, growled at the man beside him. “Dammit Jin. Wait at the car.” The older man gave him a doubtful look, but left.

“Why do you want her birthday.”

Li turned back around with a scowl. “To send her a gift, why not?”

Syd took a step back. “Why did you ask--How did you know she was my cousin?” Kai knew her family relations weren’t exactly a secret, but they didn’t advertise either.

Waving his hand negligently, the Triad man smirked. “Good sources are wonderful things to cultivate. You get all kinds of information out of people.”

Posture perfectly straight, Syd dug money out of the till and shoved it at him. “Go away, Li.”

To her visible alarm, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward. “Her birthday, Xia Fu. Then I will leave.”

“Mr. Li,” a soft voice murmured beside him.  Kai stepped up, a hand brushing the man’s shoulder almost as if in concern.  When the man’s gaze flickered toward the Japanese witch, Kai caught it, and held.  “Release Sydney-chan **_now_**.”

Pressing her lips in a thin line, Syd yanked herself from the Triad’s loosening grip. She gave Kai a single frightened glance before Lydia appeared at her elbow and whisked her away to the backroom.

The man who had frightened her did not even acknowledge her departure. Lowering his outstretched hand, Li tilted his head at Kai and waited.

Satisfied that he’d gotten the control he needed (though he had known he would), Kai’s almost polite expression melted into ice, eyes darkening.  “In two minutes, you will walk out the entrance door you came through.  After you have, you will decide that you do not wish to bother Sydney- _chan_ again, and you will never return.   ** _Never return here_**.  And while you’re at it, make sure your guards go with you.  Understood?  Take your money and leave.”

“Understood.”

With slow precise movements, Li bent down and picked up the discarded money, taking out his wallet and slipping the bill inside. His flat brown eyes swept past the deserted counter, over the seething Kai, and past the empty tables of the cafe to the door where the sign said ‘ _On Break’_. Absently, he pocketed his wallet and strode to the door. The chime seemed to wake him from his daze, but he only signalled to his men and drove off without looking back.

Kai walked up to the door and clicked the lock into place, then spun on his heel and stalked into the back.  By the time he reached the room Lydia had dragged Sydney to, the black had receded from his eyes and he’d stuffed his fury far down inside him.  “Sydney- _chan_?” he asked worriedly, stepping inside.  “Are you okay?”  His eyes were wide and face pale.

Inside the room, Sydney was pacing between the microwave and the closet, muttering darkly to herself. She flashed him a tight smile for a second as he called out to her, but shook her head and resumed her angry pacing. Lydia was standing off to side by the fridge, a glass of water in her hand and an exasperated expression on her dark face.

“Here,” the manager huffed, dodging past her co-worker and shoving the water in Kai’s hands. “She won’t tell me anything. You talk to her. Take her out or something.”

“Uh, okay,” Kai said, and set the glass down as soon as she was gone.  He stepped into Sydney’s path and grabbed her arms gently.  “Sydney- _chan_?  What’s wrong?”

Brown eyes blinked at him as her half-uttered words died down. “He knew I was related to Ruby.” A pale hand brushed over her hair. “He’s a Triad heir.” Syd shook her head and bit her lip, letting out a weak laugh. “I wonder if I should ask Ruby to take him out.”

“I could do it,” he murmured, searching her face.  “If he bothers you that much... but he won’t ever bother you again.   _Ever_.”

“No.” She shook her head again, stepping forward to wrap her arms around him tight. “I can’t ask you to. He’s after Ruby, not me after all.” Syd breathed in deep, face pressed his neck above his collar, lips brushing warm against his skin. “He just caught me off guard, that’s all. I’m fine. It’s okay. I’ll just tell her, and Ruby can go kick his ass.”

Holding her tighter, he nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead.  “Alright.  If you’re sure.  C’mon.  Let’s go somewhere else.  Take advantage of Lydia’s generosity.”

Squeezing once more before letting go, Syd nodded and smiled even as her brow furrowed slightly in worry. And it wasn’t hard to imagine what she was thinking: Li knew who she was and knew she was related to Ruby. There was a reason why her cousin’s mercenary group did not have last names. Family ties made things... risky. The only reason why Ruby stayed in touch was because of _what_ they were.

She allowed Kai to pull her from the room, Lyd waved them off as Kai approached her. “Out,” was all her manager said. So they left.

xXx

Later that night, well after dark, when most of the guards had moved on to positions around the manor, or rounds in the grounds and maze, silence was almost complete.

Except the soft click of a door being closed, and tiny feet padding away from their room in the darkness.

“Ahem,” said one deep and foreboding voice.

“Oh dear,” said a friendly one.

The footsteps stopped for a beat, then moved closer to the wall.  She didn’t say anything, likely trying to blend in with the darkened hallway.

At the large doors that opened to the hall leading to the master suite, one tall pale shadow turned to the other. “I’m blaming you.”

“Me?” The darker shadow further from the window muttered. “She’s fixated on you, Blondie.”

“Not that. The hiding in plain sight part.”

The one with the scary voice shrugged. “She’ll get better.”

“Not the point.”

Michele, seeming to realize she’d been caught, giggled softly.  “Hey, hey, Mister Baba?” she whispered.

There was a snort from the darker side of the wall. The blond shook his head. “Miss Michele, you should be in bed.”

“I can’t sleep!” she protested.  “I think there’s a monster in my closet...”  She huffed.

This time the darker shadow let loose a chuckle before trying to muffle it. There was a very quiet, “There’s an easy fix for that,” before a “You are not using that inside the house,” followed by a “What’s wrong? It’ll be easy to teach her. All ya do is pull the pin out, roll it, and run like he--OW!”

“You’re useless,” the tall one sighed, walking towards the waiting girl.

Staying behind, the other shrugged and replied, “Kids.”

The lamps from the grounds shone through the large windows onto pale hair as Christoph smiled down at her. “Alright Miss Michele, let’s see to the monster,” he said quietly.

Giving him a timid smile, she lead him to her room, her steps growing lighter once inside.  “There,” she whispered very softly, pointing toward the slightly open doorway in the corner.

Giving the innocent storage unit an amused once-over, the blond pursed his lips and looked down at the tiny heiress. “Why do you think the monster is in there?”

“I heard it,” she replied, blinking up at him.  “It was whispering!”

The tall merc hummed. “I’m going to take a look. Do you want to stay here or go with me?”

Hesitating, she glanced back toward the door.  Then she gulped.  “I’ll go with you,” she decided.

Smiling faintly, Christoph gently ruffled her hair, rewarding her for her show of courage. “Then off we go.” Taking slow steps, he advanced upon the closet, tiny girl hand in hand.

Pausing on the threshold, he glanced down. “Ready?”

Her lips pressed together and her jaw firmed, and she gave him a brave nod.

The wooden door swung open on silent hinges and the light clicked on automatically.  Inside... was a pink, pink land.  Pink shoes scattered on the floor (with some red thrown in), pink dresses and coats and shirts hung up.  A pink hamper for dirty clothing.  A small pink dresser holding pants and skirts.

It was like cotton candy had thrown up in her closet.

Tilting his head, Christoph blinked. “Is the monster a boy or a girl?” he asked little Miss Michele.

“I didn’t ask it,” was the terse reply.  “How should I know?”

“Just wondering,” he answered, stepping forward and marvelling at the inconceivable number of shades light red could exist in. Turning, he raised his eyebrows at her. “Doesn’t look like the monster is in anymore.”

She relaxed at that, smiling at him.  “Thank you!” she said.  “I’ll go back to bed now.  Night night, Mr. Baba!”

Shaking his head and chuckling, Christoph let himself be herded out of the little lady’s room. “G’night Miss Michele,” he said and stepped out.

When he resumed his station at the door, Svorak gave him a wide smile.

“What?” Someday he would learn not to ask that.

The one-eyed merc snickered. “Wait till Lady hears about this...”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, it started happy anyway.

“Er... what is it?” Arana asked, peering around Svorak’s larger form to stare at her sister on the doorstep.

The blonde was frowning irritably. “It was on my apartment welcome mat when I woke up this morning. Addressed to _you_ ,” she snarled, and held the thing up by the scruff of its neck.

Arana blinked. “It’s a dog.” A puppy, in fact.

“I know it’s a dog! Take it already! It’s creepy!”

“I’m not touching that, it’s enchanted,” Arana retorted. “... with another tracking spell. What, does he think I’m new?”

Rolling his eyes, the African man looked back at Lady. “Will anything happen if I touch it?”

“Probably not,” she replied, less than comfortingly.

He sighed and reached out. The dog yipped once at the transfer and wriggled around until it was curled in Svorak’s arms. Then it licked him under the chin.

Snickering, Arana backed up a few feet. “That’s so _cute_!” she chirped.

Lucy made a face. “It’s sickening! It has _fur_!”

A voice from inside the house had the ex-soldier turning and Arana inching further back. “Yes, yes. We can do that... No, I understand. However, you’re saying that we need to be there for a birthday party?” Christoph glanced up once and his eyes caught sight of the fluffy _blond_ bundle of fur in her partner’s arms. “Hmm? No. I think I have just the thing... Let me confirm first.”

The chemist raised both brows. “Does the dog belong to anyone?” he asked the crowd at the entrance.

“Uhg,” Lucy replied, shuddering. “I’m going home. Bye.” She made a face and stalked off toward the beat up yellow sedan parked on the street.

Arana beamed at Christoph. “Nope! I just have to remove the tracking spell, and it’s all yours!”

‘Tracking?’ the tall man mouthed back to her in concern, then shook his head and spoke into the phone again. “Are you alright with a dog, Andrew?” He turned away, heading for the kitchen.

 xXx

Michele Masters was allowed to plan her own party. Which, of course, meant that there were no clowns, mimes, jesters, comedians, actors, actresses (ignoring, mind, the guests attending the party), or any other sort of entertainer. Instead, she had a ball pit, a water-slide contraption that was approximately fifty feet long, catering from her favorite restaurant Golden Corral, and... horses.

Not ponies. Michele Masters scoffed at the word pony. She rode _real_ horses.

Luckily throughout the planning of said party Trisha Masters, the girl’s mother, managed to divert her daughter’s attention away from copious amounts of pink. Everyone still had nightmares about the last year.

However, all of this, the fun, the rides, the people, was forgotten the moment she finally realized who the day’s bodyguards were. There was an excited yell, followed by a blur, and Christoph was nearly catapulted off his feet by the birthday girl herself.

“Mister Baba!” she yelled excitedly, arms wrapped around his hips. She quickly dropped to her feet and grinned happily up at him (and up, and up). “You’re here! Oh, daddy said so! I’m so glad!”

Ignoring the snickering that his partner was emitting, the blond smiled at her. “Yes, I’m here today. How is your party going?”

“ _And I’m off to pound some asses_ ,” Svorak’s cheerful voice sounded in his earpiece. The mercenary was already walking out through the garden gate, heading towards the now battered area next to the maze. The man raised one arm in a lazy wave and disappeared around the corner as Christoph glanced back.

“It’s going good!” Michele chirped. “I made a new friend! She moved into the trailer park down the hill!” She grinned so hard it was a wonder it didn’t hurt.

The girl was prevented from saying anything further by the approach of her young brunette mother. “Michele!” the woman scolded, a faint frown on her face. “You can’t just go running at people like that! You gave James a heart attack!”

Thoroughly chastised, Michele scuffed the toe of her shoe against the grass, looking down with a pout. “Sorry, mommy...”

“Ma’am,” the blond bodyguard nodded. He waited until her brown eyes met his. “Anything I should be aware of today?”

Trisha sighed softly, shaking her head. Though it wasn’t a no, as there was a thoughtful expression on her face. “Just... keep close to her. She got into the coffee this morning and has been bouncing around since. And I don’t personally know everyone _here_... A lot of them are Andrew’s associates, or guests of his associates... And a little girl who wandered over from down the hill...” She waved a fine-boned hand in the general direction of a huddle of children trying to get into the ball pit.

“Other than that, nothing I can think of. It’s an event, so obviously everyone should be watched... Andrew will be by a bit later to go over anything I’ve missed. Did you need anything? The nanny will be by soon, so she’ll be taking care of Michele...”

Observing the vibrating child at his side, Christoph huffed out a laugh. This was going to be interesting. “Could you point out the people who you do know and trust? I’ll work around that.”

The thin woman laughed softly. “There are many that I know, and very few that I trust. I don’t even trust half the staff. Still. There’s James.” She turned and pointed out a black-haired, light eyed teenage boy lingering near the buffet table chatting with a group of older adults. “He’s my adopted son. And there is of course Andrew, and over there, the woman in yellow is a dear friend of mine that I’ve known since high school...” She listed off three more people before heaving a sigh and turning her gaze back to him. “That’s about it.”

Beside the bodyguard, the child was fidgeting and eying a blonde amongst the other children. The blonde was peering back at them curiously, and smiled when she caught the brunette’s gaze. “Can I go play?”

Shifting his gaze from daughter to mother, the chemist wasn’t sure who Michele was asking. So he waited.

Trisha smiled slightly. “I suppose that’s everything. If you need anything, let myself, James or Andrew know.” She held out her arms to Michele. “Give me a hug first, then you can go.”

The miniature version of Trisha cheered and threw herself at her mother, hugging her, and even giving her a peck on the mouth before grabbing Christoph’s hand and beaming at him. “Let’s go! I wanna introduce you to Audrey!”

Before his mind’s eye, the blond could see the day unravel before him... being pulled from friend to friend, a gambit of introductions and awkward meetings.

“Just a few things, Miss Michele,” he said, even as he walked forward with her. Gently, he retracted his fingers from her warm hand. “I need my hands free.” If he was going to be in the crowd, he definitely wanted to be able to move.

“Okay!” she chirped sweetly, and slowed slightly so that he could keep up. Not that he needed it.

The blonde she’d been eying detached from the rest and hurried out to meet them, throwing her arms around Michele. “Hello!” she chirped happily. “You remember me right?”

“Of course, silly!” Michele said. “You’re Audrey!”

“Yes!” Audrey beamed. “This is the coolest party I’ve ever seen! I don’t get stuff like _this_ at _my_ birthday parties!”

Giggling, the heiress shook her head. “This is special. Cause it’s my _sixth_ birthday!” She grabbed Audrey and dragged her over to Christoph. “Audrey! This is my bodyguard! His name is Baba!”

The look he received was skeptical. “Who names their kid ‘Baba’?” the blonde asked, disbelief written all over her face.

The taller blond looked down, amusement written across _his_ lean face. “No one.”

“So it’s not your _real_ name?” she asked shrewdly.

A slim eyebrow rose. “Oh, it’s mine. I earned it.” He was beginning to see why Svorak muttered about small children. They loved to ask questions. “Maybe, it’s more like a title.”

Grey-green eyes blinked up at him. “Oooh. Okay. Like the kids in my old trailer park!” she said, catching on with the logic of a six year old. “They called me ‘Terror’.”

Michele gave her a wide-eyed look. “Why?”

“I beat ‘em up.”

 xXx

Another crack of the weapon in his hand and the target boasted another hole. Off center. Mengyao hissed. So off center that he could see the difference from two hundred feet away. _Fuck_!

He could blame his poor aim on the wavering at the edges of his vision, but he knew that was a sad excuse. A single night without sleeping should not affect his shooting.

Taking a breath, the gunman pointed the muzzle down the track and let his focus narrow. The heatwave-like distortion in his peripheral faded into the background where it was meant to be. Another breath in and he settled his shoulders, body falling into the old familiar stance.

Mengyao let his vision tunnel and the bullseye became his world. He emptied his lungs in a single long controlled breath and squeezed. Then swore as the paper on the far side of the building _fluttered_. The bullet had torn through the lower right corner.

“ _Son of a monkey-turd’s whore_!” He had given up on English hours ago.

Snarling, the Triad thumbed the safety on and shoved the firearm into the holster at his back. He didn’t bother to look at the guard by the door and stalked out of the shooting range. If he stayed around and the young guard even dared to snicker, there would be holes in something that would _bleed_.

Unknown to the furious Chinese man, the guard was in awe. Well after the heir had stormed off, the young man slipped over to the section where Li had stood.

‘ _Incredible_ ,’ the guard would later tell his peers over drinks. Even with anger visibly affecting him, Master Li had hit the marks. Bullet after bullet had sailed through the exact same hole, dead center. And bashfully, the young man would bring out the bullseye to show his stunned co-workers.

Master Li was definitely a crack shot. Wonder what had him so riled? Who knew...

 xXx

“-can’t be cut off, and before you ask, cutting off my arm won’t work either, Medic, so stop thinking it,” Arana was drawling when Svorak and Christoph returned. She looked up at the opening of the door, and blinked.

Beside her, Drai’s mouth shut with a snap, and his face went into the default non-expression. After a beat had passed, he managed a slightly off-sounding, “Is that cake?” His eyes were glued to Christoph’s hair.

The taller man was indeed ‘glazed’ in sugar, from his wavy golden locks down the left side of his beige pant leg and smeared into his worn leather shoes. His partner was wearing a grin a mile wide; Christoph was smiling. A little. It wasn’t lost on anyone that Svorak was keeping out of arm’s reach from the blond.

Actually, the European smelled like sugar, the African smelled like a gym and mulch.

The brunette blinked at them for a moment. “She liked the dog, I take it?” she asked. She jumped when Medic jerked at something shiny on her wrist, and glared at him. “I told you, it’s stuck! Knock it off!”

Both men at the door snapped their attention down to where Medic was using heavy pliers to hold down something copper and disc like. “Jewelry, Lady?” Christoph asked doubtfully seeing the gaudy bright bracelet.

“You don’t seem the type,” his partner added, noting the way the doctor was trying to twist the links apart.

“OW!” She swiped at the doctor, who ducked. “You pinched me! And of course I’m not the type!”

“Blackie finally got her,” Drai explained succinctly.

Dual smells of sugar and sweat rolled through the air as the Boys immediately crowded around her wrist. “Same issue?” Svorak asked as Christoph narrowed his eyes on the metal musing, “If we angle it, I have a corrosive that would work on copper...”

Medic’s eyes widened as he turned to the blond the same time that the blue-eyed merc reached back and poked his partner in temple. “No!” came from both shorter men.

“It wouldn’t work anyway,” Arana inserted. “It’s magically bound to me.” She heaved a sigh. “Damn that boy is crafty.” A pause. “And ridiculously patient for one so young...”

Drai’s brows lifted. “Is that... are you impressed?”

  
“What? No!” she replied, a bit too quickly.

Chastened, the chemist backed away, crumbling bits of cake falling to the pristine floor as he held up his hands. Hoping to divert the two glares levelled on him, he turned to Arana. “If the bangle is permanent, what about the tracking spell?”

A corner of her mouth lifted in an arrogant smirk. “I already dealt with that,” she replied smugly. Drai just rolled his eyes.

Christoph blinked. Svorak glanced down at Medic. Medic huffed and tossed the pliers into the toolbox at his feet.

“Whiskey?” Medic snorted and nodded at the African merc’s suggestion as the two left the room. The blond that followed behind shook his head. “Shower, then brandy.”

There was a low growl from the short doctor as they rounded the bend in the hall. “Don’t forget to clean your crumbs up. Don’t want rats.”

“Yes, Medic.”

Arana hummed thoughtfully, lifting her arm and twisting it this way and that to survey the bracelet. “I dunno... kind of suits me, I think. Nice and old. Mayan, I think.” She smiled sweetly at Drai. “I should send a thank you gift, don’t you think?”

Perfect teeth flashed at her. “Whaddya need?”

“Moulding clay.”

 xXx

Well after the businessmen and women had left the downtown core, when the streets were calm, the coffee shops were nearly empty. These were the empty hours when listless employees were kept through the hours in the hopes of a random customer walking in through the doors.

Mengyao was looking for a certain coffee shop. For some reason or another, he just couldn’t remember where it was. The streets didn’t look right no matter how many times Jin told him that they were going in the correct direction. How would Jin know? Mengyao had never been to the shop before, so why would his bodyguard?

On that note, why did he have a vague memory of how the route should have been if he had never been there? In any case, the awnings on the Italian deli should have been green, not purple. The fire hydrant was on the wrong side of the street. The doors to the bank should have been doubles instead of a single metal sheet.

“You’re going the wrong way,” he ground out for the fourteenth time.

Jin only shook his head, slowing down in front of coffee shop with bold black lettering and a grey awning. The seats inside with matte black in a bizarre new age fashion. But strangely, the Triad heir remembered white lettering. And bright cheerful vinyl seats.

“This is the place you usually go, Master Li,” the old guard insisted. Maybe it was time to retire the senile bastard.

Scoffing, he glanced at the staff inside, who were dawdling over counters and swiping at gleaming black tables. One girl turned to look at the clock. Mengyao narrowed his eyes, sneering. She looked like one of his annoying cousins.

“Let’s just go home. I don’t feel like arguing with you anymore.”

The car pulled away as Jin frowned and looked back at the cafe, with its simple white lettering on the windows and the signature red awning that shone in the sun.

 xXx

Kai stretched his arms above his head as he wandered from his room, yawning. “Erik?” he mumbled, entering the kitchen. And he froze.

“Heyyy, kiddo,” the familiar woman drawled.

Beside her, Erik perked. “Hey, I made breakfast. And when the heck did you meet a babe like this?”

_Oh that dirty, cheating **shofu**._

The woman winked at him. “We met at the market,” she said sweetly. “Saaay, Erik, can we have a moment?” She tossed dark hair over her shoulder.

Erik’s brows lifted, and he looked at Kai in a manner that clearly said, _What about Syd?_ But he thankfully didn’t push it, shrugged and left for the bathroom.

“You know, I recognized those eyes. And that’s cheating,” Kai said, frowning at the doll.

Brown eyes crinkled in amusement, even as the replica of Arana bared her teeth at him. “So is the bracelet.”

“I noticed the tracking spell is gone,” he shot back.

“Child’s play.” She waved a hand dismissively. “Anyway, my life is short. But I just have one message for you anyway, so that’s fine.”

Dark eyes narrowed at the woman who mimicked his girlfriend’s gaze. “Yeah? What’s the message.”

“Back off.”

  
“No.”

Surprisingly, she laughed. “Thought you’d say that.” She stood, closing her eyes. The color faded from her skin as she shrunk down, finally reaching the height of about a Barbie Doll. Only made of white clay. And she started to glow.

“Shit!” Kai yelped, right before the magical backlash flared through the apartment. Blinding him.

Three minutes later, Erik hurried into the room. “Woah, Kai, you okay?” he asked, stepping over to his roommate.

“Yeah, just...” Kai grimaced. _Blinded_. He really hoped she’d made it temporary, or he was officially fucked. What could he tell Erik? “Lady’s a... she likes pranks.”

Erik’s brows shot up as he helped the smaller male to a stool. “Yeah... dude, your eyes are kinda... unfocused. And white. Are you alright? Should we go to the-”

“NO!” Kai yelped, startling the other boy. “No... It’s just temporary. Don’t worry about it. She’s just an old friend with a creepy sense of humor. Just... don’t tell Syd, okay?” He could feel the calculation from where he sat, and grimaced. “I’ll give you twenty bucks to keep quiet about it to Syd. I don’t want her to worry.”

Erik was already going through his wallet. “Deal.”

 xXx

“Master Li...”

Oh no. He was completely within his rights to kill this one. The knife tip at the servant’s throat dug in as the fat man whimpered.

“He didn’t do it,” Jin repeated a few feet away. His bodyguard was holding the phone, the blank screen held out for him to see. Shiny, black, blank. _Gone_.

“Fuck you,” Mengyao snarled. “I know I had pictures of her in there. And I left it in the dining room. When I came back, this ass handed it to me with a smile. Would have walked away if I hadn’t checked.”

“Master Li,” Jin flipped the phone around again and tapped a few buttons. Then he held it out again. “The pictures are still there. There’s even the video of her.”

He glanced over, faint hope glimmering, but the screen was still blank. All his momentos. His only proof she existed. Gone.

“Are you fucking retarded, Jin?” The knife slid a fraction of an inch and the blood began to drip down. “All I see is a black screen!”

Startled, the old man took a look himself. The frown that he wore warped into something that Mengyao couldn’t decipher. Maybe the aged brain in there was working. _See_?!

“It’s just a black screen,” Jin repeated slowly, dark brown eyes lifting from the blank unresponsive-- _empty_ \--screen to Mengyao’s gaze.

“Yes!” The picture of her in the red and gold dress had been his background. The video of her scowling at the same party had been the only video saved. A modest gallery of perhaps two dozen pictures... All deleted.

The old guard moved a step closer. “Maybe... maybe it’s out of batteries, Master Li.”

 _You idiot_! “You think I didn’t think of that? I checked the battery life; it’s fine! There’s no way it could just lose that gallery!”

The blubbering idiot whimpered out something snivelling in Mandarin.

“Shut up!” Mengyao snarled into the servant’s face as he ripped the blade through that quivering throat.

“Master Li!”

The hall was silent and dark as the Triad heir stalked down the grey carpet, away from the spill of crimson. Later he would wonder why the coward’s blood would be the only colour he could remember all day.

 xXx

The brunette hummed as she swept into their current base, swinging the grocery sack in her hand idly. Drai watched her walk right past him, and blinked. “Eh?” He followed her to the kitchen, where she proceeded to put up the ice cream and milk she had bought. “Arana?”

“Mm?” She paused, turning her head to glance at him. “Yes?”

“... are you... humming?”

Brown eyes blinked at him blankly. “Erm. No?”

“You were,” Drai said, almost accusingly.

“I don’t remember humming,” she replied flatly. They both looked at the single male sitting at the table, pointedly.

Which did them no good. Wolf tugged off his massive headphones, blinking at them from the depths of the large cotton hood. “What?”

“I wasn’t,” Arana said, dismissing him entirely.

“You were!” Drai persisted, following the woman as she left the room.

“Wasn’t.”

“Were.”

“Wasn’t.”

“Were!”

They walked into the living room, where Christoph was fussing with something off in the corner, and Svorak was channel-surfing. Arana plopped down on the couch by Svorak, frowning. “No. I wasn’t. I would know if I was humming, Drai Nehn.”

The ex-army man raised a brow at the two before handing the remote to the woman and walking over to his lover. There were a few quiet words and a yelp from the shorter man.

“Please don’t touch the beakers in the back,” the blond cautioned the Arab and to Lady, “Please don’t _look_ at the beakers in the back.” He smiled and waved as the two men disappeared into the hall.

“Oh don’t pull out the full name,” he groused. “Why are you so happy?”

She paused, grinned, stifled it, grinned again. “It worked.”

“Oh.” Drai blinked at her for a moment. “Wait. What?”

There was the sharp sound of a palm slapping against a forehead before she got up, threw the remote at him and stalked off. Drai fumbled for the plastic, then dropped it entirely. “What!? Arana!”

There was the sudden and final click of her bedroom door out of sight, and he pouted. “What did I say?!”

 xXx

“BOO!”

Arana blinked at the duo in her doorway. “Um.”

Two sets of white teeth flashed, before Lucy lunged forward and latched onto her arm. She beamed. “Arana. I love you.”

“No.” There was no thought wasted on the answer, no hesitation. “Whatever it is, no.”

Shinji pouted. “Told you!” he hissed at his blonde companion.

Blue eyes rolled in exasperation. “Shut up and listen. We need a few bucks-”

“Don’t you _have_ money?” Arana asked, brows lifting at the odd request.

The other two exchanged a look, and Shinji shrugged at Lucy as if to say, _She’s your sister_. Lucy pursed her lips at him irritably, before returning her attention to her sister. “Amaya handles my funds. Shinji’s out of cash.” She beamed. “We’re out of pixie sticks.”

“No.” Arana shook her sister off her arm, and slammed the door shut in their faces. And bolted it.

 xXx

“Baba!”

There was a pregnant pause on the other line and Mengyao nearly threw the address book across the room in his impatience.

“Mr. Li.” The blond’s tone was neutral. He could work with that.

He spun on his heel, leaned against the wall by the fireplace. The room was windowless. No fear of snipers. “Look, I know what you’re thinking, but just hear me out.”

“Ruby isn’t available for jobs regarding you.”

In twelve strides, he could cross the length of the room. Look at that. He was by the door now. “Not a job,” he placated. “A meeting?”

There was a sigh on the other side. Mengyao fingered the tassels of a tapestry. “She is not available for dates, Li.”

“Not a date,” the Triad insisted. It took only seven long steps to reach other wall and its monochrome patterns. “I just... Baba, I just want to see her. It’s been months...”

Baba didn’t answer right away. Mengyao found himself by the cold fireplace again. When had they refinished the mantle in black marble? “Mr. Li,” the blond said cautiously. “It has been months, yes. That shouldn’t matter. She isn’t yours.”

“I know that!” he burst out, pivoting with lethal grace and stalking back to the first tapestry... Was it always tarnished grey thread and murky blacks? The tassels were shedding inky strands in his hands. Worthless old stuff. “Can... Can I just _talk_ to her at least? Talking should be fine, Baba, even if all she does is yell ‘No’ from across the room.”

It was beneath him, but for her voice, Mengyao didn’t care. “ _Please_ , Baba? Put her on the phone?”

The aggravating mercenary took his time to decide. By the time the man finally gave him an answer, the Triad had counted the steps it had taken to pace the perimeter of the room. In a variety of stride lengths.

“Fine, Mr. Li.”

“Baba!” Yes! Mengyao grinned and spun on the spot, his leather shoes easily sliding on the grey carpet. “Thank you!”

He could almost imagine the way the blond was shaking his head on the other side of the line. “Give me a few seconds. I’ll be right back with her.” And then the merc hit the mute button.

But the Chinese man was too ecstatic to care. Since he had lost the pictures last week, time had crawled to an agonizing stillness. Nothing mattered. Nothing made him happy. Food, women, tobacco, even opium. Fuck everything. Everything, anything, but _this_. Ruby.

If it were possible, he probably would have been physically bouncing off the walls as the saying was.

And then Baba was back on the phone. “Okay Mr. Li. She’s agreed to five minutes. Not a minimum. Don’t give her a reason to cut it short.” The blond didn’t have to warn him twice!

“My word,” Mengyao breathed. “Now give her the phone.”

There was a tense silence. The Triad had even stopped pacing, standing still in the center of the ebony-stained wood-paneled room.

“Hello Li,” a female voice rang over the phone. Tone full of repressed irritation and tired resignation.

Black brows snapped down. “Who is this?” he demanded. This wasn’t... “Where is Ruby?”

There was a snarl on the phone. “It is _me_ , you idiot. What? You called me up just to--”

“ _YOU ARE NOT HER_!” he roared, cutting off the harpy pretending to be the woman he had been dreaming of for nearly half a year. “Fuck this! Put Ruby on the phone!”

“Fuck you!” the bitch screamed back. “You couldn’t leave me alone could you?”

The whore hissed and spit, but Mengyao wasn’t paying attention. What did Ruby’s voice sound like? Was it low? Was it pure? Smooth? Husky? He didn’t know. _He couldn’t remember_...

“You’re not her,” he repeated one more time, in a whisper so broken that the woman on the line swallowed her words.

There were no windows in this room. Was that why there was no light? Mengyao turned off the phone and bowed his head. Did it matter?

No... It didn’t. And the blackness swelled up and swallowed him whole. The Triad heir sighed, and closed his eyes.

Outside, Jin knocked on the door. “Master Li?” There had been yelling and pleading. The pride that old bodyguard had for the family cringed at the begging, but in his charge’s case, perhaps a breakdown was what the young man needed. “Sir?” He knocked again.

To his relief, the door opened and Li regarded him. “Jin.” His eyes swept over the hall beyond the guard, and he drew a slow, thoughtful breath through his nose. “I want caviar.”

The heir looked... more composed than he had been all month. The breakdown was definitely a good thing. Jin nodded and then blinked. Caviar? That was new. “Sure, sir. I’ll ask the kitchen. Where do you want it?”

“Hm.” Li waved him out of the way in a gracefully careless gesture he’d never quite used before. It wasn’t inconceivable. Just... _new_. “At the table.” He smiled faintly. “And perhaps I’ll have a... coffee... Yes.”

He’d only gotten three steps down the hall when the phone still in his hand went off. He stopped and blinked at it. “Oh.” The smile grew on his face, and he hit the send, putting it to his ear. “ _Baba_. Hello. Can I help you?”

 xXx

“ _What was that_?” the blond asked flat-out. “ _I ask you not to aggravate her and you start a screaming match four seconds in_?”

The Triad heir hummed slowly, and started walking again. “I did, didn’t I? That was awful rude of me. I do apologize. Please tell Miss Ruby that I will cease to bother her.” _For now_. “No hard feelings, I hope.”

“... _Who is this_?”

The walking, talking relic shivered with delight. “Who, me? You know who I am! I’m the pest that’s been stalking your little girl for months. I could prove it. Would Mandarin do?”

“ _That won’t be necessary_ ,” Baba replied smoothly. “ _Thank you, Mr. Li, for your understanding. I will tell Ruby she doesn’t have anything to worry about. Have a good day._ ”

“You too!” Li chirped, already halfway down the stairs. “Later~” And he hit ‘end’, stifling an excited giggle. He paused and turned, brows lifting as he spied his bodyguard standing on the top of the stairs. Frowning. Dark eyes narrowed. “We’re going downstairs now. Don’t fall behind.”

 xXx

The four mercenaries gathered around the speakerphone looked up as the blond walked back into the kitchen. Wolf quietly thumbed off the mute button before wrapping his arms back around the tiny sniper in his lap.

“What the fuck was that?” Medic growled out from where he leaned against the counter.

Christoph shook his head, but Ruby spoke first. “He... he has Li’s _voice_.”

“And his phone,” Svorak added, rubbing a hand over his eyes.

“Knows Mandarin,” Simon recalled, but blinked when the only Asian there sniffed.

The blond took a seat copying his partner’s actions. “And Jin isn’t hitting the alarm.”

“And?” demanded the stocky doctor.

Sighing, the tall pale man met Ruby’s gaze. “Not. Our. Problem.”

Her red eyes fell off to the side as she nodded. Political upheavals within the Triad happened. If the faction had an imposter, it just meant one more face to get used to. Or in this case, the same face, new personality.

Master Li Mengyao had apparently been disposed of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, don't kill us. This had to happen. And trust me, no one is more broken up about this than I.

**Author's Note:**

> This is ours, Lost and me. All ours. No copying, no reposting, no... money was made on this either (yet).  
> If you wanna add to the 'verse, leave a message in the reviews and we'll reply. We're not unreasonable, just rather territorial.


End file.
